Marine sciences as a key factor in international climate change issues

Hendra Yusran Siry

Dr Hendra Yusran Siry, senior researcher at the Research Centre for Marine and Fisheries Socio-Economics (RCMFSE), has always believed in attaining the highest education for his personal and professional development. As such, he applied for and was accepted into several scholarship schemes throughout the years. In 2003, Dr Hendra was granted an Australian Development Scholarship to pursue a PhD in Resource Management and Environmental Sciences.

Upon returning to Indonesia, Dr Hendra applied his experience in Australia at regional and international forums. “The benefit went beyond the scope of academic knowledge. The international interactions I experienced while in Australia taught me even more on tolerance on a global scale. I am grateful for that,” he elaborates.

Dr. Hendra served as Deputy Director for Technical Services at the RCMFSE for two years (2010 -2011) and was responsible for managing publication materials and documentations, including the editing process for journals and website contents and dissemination of research results. He also established potential research collaborations with other institutions. The Research Centre is part of the Indonesian Government’s think-tank whose journals serve as important input for the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries’ national policy. Under Dr Hendra’s management, the institution’s academic journals were awarded ‘B’ in accreditation, which will remain active until it’s time for re-assessment in 2013.

On an international scope, Dr Hendra has been involved in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as part of the Indonesian delegation and has served as one of the lead negotiators for Ocean Dimension for Climate Change since 2009. Part of Dr Hendra’s duties in this capacity is to increase the awareness that Indonesia as an archipelago increases the country’s vulnerability to the impact of climate change. “To reduce the impact of climate change in Indonesia in general and those who live in coastal areas specifically, we need international support, especially from other developed countries. Marine sciences as a key factor in climate change issues is one of our focuses,” Dr Hendra explains.

On July 2011, Dr Hendra was involved in conducting a forum between Indonesia and Korea on marine and fisheries. In this forum, MoU in capacity building program on fisheries was established between the two countries.

Dr Hendra currently serves as Executive Secretary of the Indonesia Marine Fisheries Socio-Economics Networks, a research network comprised of individual researchers, tertiary institutions, as well as research institutes such as the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and RCMFSE.